Joyeux Anniversaire
by Ferichan
Summary: One-shot. It's Christmas, and as usual, people forget about her birthday... everyone except Andre. And when he gives her his gift, an slightly drunk Oscar is a little bit too thankful for it. AxO fluff. Dedicated to Eri. :


Just a little one shot I wrote based on a picture my friend eEriechan did for Xmas :) OscarxAndre fluff ahead. Takes place when Oscar is already in the French Guards. (though it is chronologically inaccurate, I think it served as the ideal setting.) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

Rose of Versailles belongs to Riyoko Ikeda.

* * *

"Aren't you staying longer, Oscar?" Marie Antoinette asked her as the royal guard excused herself with a curtsy.

"It was very kind of you to invite me to your Christmas Ball, your majesty," the blonde-haired woman said respectfully with a kind smile, "But there are other places I must be getting to, as well."

"I understand," the Queen said with a gentle shine in her eyes, "Have fun, Oscar! And Merry Christmas to you and your family; send my regards to your mother."

"I will, thank you. Merry Christmas, your highness," Oscar said as she bowed again and turned on her heels to leave. She walked out of the ballroom, the sound of chit chatter and music fading away as she made her way down the deserted hall, emptied due to the fact everyone was currently in court celebrating Christmas with the King and the Queen. She looked out the grand windows, watching the moon's light filter through the glass and flood the halls in white light, white speckles of snow swaying peacefully outside against the night sky.

Right now she was supposed to head to a Christmas party Company B was throwing in downtown Paris, and later head home to celebrate the holidays with her family. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.

She made it outside, instantly met with the chilly wind of December and she pulled her cape closer to her body. She watched the delicate specks of snow dance in the wind, some of them resting on her blonde hair now as she walked down the stairs of the palace. The sound of Christmas carols filled her ears as well as the merrymaking of people celebrating outside the gates. The city was alight with beautiful candles of every type and lush decorations adorned each and every house. It was a sight to behold and Oscar couldn't help a smile. Paris looked like a land of fantasy portrayed in a painting.

As she descended, she noticed André was already waiting for her in the white snow with a carriage to take her downtown, a bright smile on his face as he saw her come down.

"Your carriage, my Lady," he said with a grin, extending a hand at her. She raised an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless at the gesture. He was really cheery today; the Christmas spirit from Paris must have gotten him already, so for the sake of celebration she'd amuse him tonight. She thanked him and placed her hand on his, allowing him to help her inside the carriage, and he followed soon after.

The carriage started to move, riding into the deepest streets of Paris. Even here, the cheer was tangible, people hanging outside their houses sharing jolly chats and laughter, lights and snow everywhere she looked, the smell of Christmas banquets cooking in the ovens reached her nostrils, and the carols became louder and merrier. She blinked, a sudden thought entering her, and she looked at André from the corner of her eye. He was looking out the window, engrossed in the light spectacle outside.

_Did he forget?_ She wondered for a moment, but then shook the thought away, as it didn't truly matter so long as she was having a good time with her best friend and their comrades, the smile returning to her features.

They reached their destination a few minutes later: A bar André, Alain, and the rest of company B visited often to just drink and unwind. As André helped her out the carriage, her ears were filled with the sound of jovial songs from the barracks, the clanking of glasses, and merry laughter.

"Those bastards started without us," André said with a good natured laugh as he placed an arm around Oscar, covering her, if only slightly, from the cold. She smirked as she turned to him.

"Were you expecting any different?" she asked him. He pretended to think for a moment.

"No, not really…" he said with a smile, and he gestured forward, "Shall we?"

He opened the door for her, and they were met with familiar, bright faces full of delight (and some of them already drunk, Oscar noticed idly with a small smile). Some of the soldiers she knew so well came forward and gave her and André hearty slaps on the back, wishing them merry Christmas and urging them to join the fun.

It was not long till a couple of glasses of wine were pushed into hers and André's hands, the cheer quickly overwhelming both of them. As she and André made to find a seat first, André was promptly pulled away from her and onto a table with two other soldiers, whom started singing at the top of their lungs with their arms draped over André's shoulders. Laughing, André joined in on their song, waving his glass around.

Oscar laughed loudly; they looked positively ridiculous, but having fun nonetheless. She downed her glass and a soldier swiftly eased another one into her hands, too drunk in beer and spirit to be subtle. They wanted their commander to join in, and for once, Oscar thought it was fine, accepting the glass and raising it at André, a playful smile on her face. André blinked at her, but soon raised his at her as well, winking his good eye at her.

She was already on her 4th glass when she finally started to feel infused with their cheer and happiness, and soon found herself singing softly with them. When had she learned these songs? She didn't know, but it didn't matter to her. She let go and sung happily with them, her head swaying slightly to the tune. André looked at her briefly before he jumped off the table, walking to her as the men started a new song. He extended his hand at her again and she looked at it curiously.

"Will you dance with me?" he asked, a grin on his face, his cheeks flushed pink; from singing, or drinking, she didn't know, but she found it curiously endearing, and irresistible to a point, which drove her to accept his hand with no further thought.

He pulled her close, placing one of her hands on his shoulder and the other one on his outstretched palm. As the soldiers started a new tune, making music with wooden barrels and empty bottles, André gingerly placed his hand on her waist and guided her into an energetic dance. She did her best to follow but she felt awkward, as she had been trained to be the one who guided the dance, and even if that hadn't been a problem, the dance they were doing right now was unlike anything she'd done before.

It was energetic, spontaneous, and carefree ( unlike the controlled and meticulous ballroom dancing she was used to) inspiring her to just let go and give herself into the music, to the feeling it evoked in her, and to just enjoy it, forgetting everything else. She was sure the wine contributed to her heightened joy, but she was honestly enjoying this.

No wonder her men liked to come here every once in a while to relax; it was quite invigorating!

André spun her around, his sweet laughter mingling with hers, and as their dance picked up speed with the tune, she found herself stumbling on her feet, the rhythm becoming too fast for her currently hindered reflexes. André slowed down and held her as she sagged against his chest, chuckling.

"I only know how to lead," she said as she straightened herself, an amused smile playing on her cheeks.

"I think you were fantastic," he said, chortling good naturedly. "But you think too much." She stared and cocked her head, but he merely smirked and turned her so that her back was to him, and he took both her hands in his, stretching them out as he whispered in her ear.

"Just let go," He said softly, "Let the music fill you."

He then grabbed her right hand and twirled her around, suddenly grabbing her waist and dipping her. Oscar stared at him with eyes wide, surprised by the sudden movement, and blue met green. His eye gripped her and she got lost in their depth, leaving her speechless, suddenly drowning the noise with only the sound of her heartbeat in her ears... but before she knew it, André had straightened her and was spinning her around in unplanned movements, simply taking her for a fun ride amongst the cheery yells and whistles of their comrades, whose singing had become louder and merrier. Oscar followed jovially, if only bit awkwardly, but she didn't care and just danced with him, smiling at each other, overtaken by absolute bliss.

But they soon grew tired and breathless, and André fell back against a wooden pillar, holding Oscar in his arms to steady her, both flushed and panting from dancing and laughing. Another soldier took a woman that was sitting by and invited her for a dance, and André took this as his cue to invite Oscar to sit down. Mirth still adorned her features as they found an empty table and he looked at her, his eyes soft and gentle.

"Did you have fun?" he asked her and she looked at him, her eyes glowing.

"I did," she said with a smile, "Thank you."

"I'm glad," he replied, taking her hand in his and gently stroking her knuckles and they gazed at each other warmly.

He ordered a couple of drinks for him and Oscar and they simply watched now, entertained by the shenanigans their comrades pulled under the heavy influence of alcohol, laughing and having a good time. Soon though, good natured play fights turned serious and it wasn't long till a bottle was suddenly flung into the air and crashed against the wall, marking the start of a heated bar fight.

"I think we should go home now," André told Oscar with a smirk over the ruckus, "This is becoming too intense."

She simply nodded, standing up and allowing André to guide her around the several fights that had broke out and into the cold outside. He quickly hailed a carriage and they made their way to the de Jarjayes mansion. For her sake, André had barely had anything to drink, opting to stay sober to watch over her, and thus, he noticed Oscar had had entirely too much to drink, her head swaying when she tried to rest it on one of her hands.

"Just lie back, I'll let you know when we get there," André told her.

"I'm fine, just a little drowsy," she said, brushing away his concern and taking a hand to her mouth to stifle a yawn. He smiled, shaking his head. She probably wouldn't last long in the party at the Jarjayes mansion but he let her have her way.

They reached the household minutes later, and once they made it inside the generously decorated lobby they were greeted by the de Jarjayes and all the maids and servants, cries of celebration abounding and "Merry Christmas" echoing from mouth to mouth. Oscar and André returned the gestures, lingering for a while in chit chat before Oscar declared she was too tired, excused herself, and slowly made her way upstairs to her room. André looked at her as she went, silently noticing the slightly forlorn look invading Oscar's eyes despite the relaxing influence the alcohol had had on her. He had a slight suspicion of what may be bothering her, even though she had never and wouldn't ever, admit _that particular thing_ would ever bother her.

He promptly excused himself and headed to his own sleeping quarters.

* * *

Oscar made her way lazily to her dark room, the relaxing effects of the alcohol finally gripping her completely and causing her to slump unceremoniously on her bed. She felt exhausted, but sleep evaded her and instead she looked out the window, looking at the small specks of snow fall against the dark sky.

She stood up and shuffled to the window, looking at the bright moon peeking curiously behind the dark clouds covering the sky. She rested her head on the windowsill, admiring the beauty of the wintery night, sighing despite herself.

Deep inside, despite the joy and happiness she had felt merely moments ago, she felt something was amiss. It wasn't anything particularly bad, just a little, curious thing that for some reason had begun nipping at the back of her mind, demanding her attention…. Though Oscar wasn't willing to give it any, despite its nagging.

Suddenly, she heard a soft knock on her door and she turned around, inviting whoever it was to come in. It was André, carrying something in his hands. She smiled at him and nodded, and he walked towards her, mirroring her smile.

"I got something for you," he said quietly, showing her what he was holding, and she looked at it. It was a medium sized box wrapped in golden paper with a lustrous green ribbon draped tightly around it. She looked back at him, her mind barely registering the meaning of the box. He merely smiled tenderly at her.

"Happy Birthday, Oscar," he murmured, gently resting a hand on her cheek. He had remembered all day long, after all, she never left his mind. He knew however, that she would be really busy for most of the day, so he had opted to wait till the end to spend some alone time with her away from the bustle and noise, like they always did.

Oscar blinked at him, registering his words, and then she smiled.

"You remembered," she said softly, gingerly grabbing the gift André brought for her. She had already gotten used to the fact that during the Christmas rush, people often forgot about Oscar's birthday, which happened to be on the same day. But all the time, ever since they met each other, André had been the one person that never forgot it, and always remembered without fail. Why she ever doubted him was beyond her. It wasn't that it particularly bothered that people forgot, it simply... felt nice having someone remember.

"How could I forget," he said, his green eye glowing as his thumb tenderly stroked her cheek.

And before she could realize what she was doing, Oscar had dropped the box and had flung her arms around André's neck, hugging him fiercely. This took André by surprise and he staggered backwards, tripping on his feet and falling to the floor, taking her with him.

André lay still on the carpeted floor, and Oscar pulled herself to her elbows, resting them on his chest as she gazed at him, their faces very close to one another. Porcelain skin was framed with golden locks of hair cascading at either side of him, deep blue eyes boring into his green one, those pink lips tinted with red… André could feel his body tense up at the close contact, his face suddenly feeling very warm.

"I'm sorry," she said apologetically, and André could finally see with the help of the moonlight that her face was flushed. She was really drunk.

"It's fine," he said, "are you all right?"

He helped her straighten, seating her beside him, and she nodded, looking back at him.

"Yeah, I'm just… I'm fine." She said in a low voice, her eyes suddenly shimmering, and André could tell it was from unshed tears and the sight of it made his heart constrict within his chest. "Thank you for remembering."

And with this, she leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his. Andre's eyes widened, and for the longest time he couldn't react, simply letting her kiss him as she brought up her hands to rest against his chest. Her soft touch against his skin instantly sent an electric surge through him, causing a myriad of sensations to explode within him, sending him over the edge. This drove him to instinctively bring a hand behind her head to pull her closer and to respond to her kiss vehemently.

Much to his surprise, Oscar responded in turn, gently moving on top of him so that her legs cradled his waist, arms going around his neck. André hesitantly prodded at her lips, silently begging, pleading…. And she complied, parting her lips and allowing him to deepen the kiss.

The warmth he found in her mouth sent a wave of pure ecstasy coursing him, and he brought her closer, her chest against his, hearts beating fast and in unison, and she moaned blissfully into his mouth, her hands traveling through his raven black hair. His other hand automatically traveled to her lower back, slowly trailing his hand up and down, feeling her slender back through the fabric of her coat.

This was unimaginable. It felt so perfect, so right. He couldn't let her go, completely engulfed in the feel of her, her sweet scent, her overwhelming warmth, her gentle hands lovingly caressing his hair. He moaned against her mouth in delight, his hands moving to play with the golden locks of her hair.

His lips left hers momentarily, hungrily seeking the skin of her throat, his body on fire. He trailed hot kisses down the sensitive skin of her neck and he heard her give a content sigh, her hands now travelling to the collar of his shirt, fingers fiddling with the knot of his cravat.

He could hardly believe this was happening. His beloved Oscar, the only woman he had eyes for the past 20 years, was kissing him, embracing him, her warm body pressed against his own, desiring him…

He felt her finally undo the knot and pull his cravat away, her fingers now roaming over the buttons of his shirt, but as soon as her fingers grazed over his skin, something clicked inside of him. An alarm went off in his head and he froze, his lips lingering over the porcelain skin of her throat.

She was not right… She was not acting upon her best judgment…

His hands instantly flew upwards and grabbed her wrists, gently but firmly stopping them in their work.

"You're drunk," André told her, avoiding her inquiring gaze, her hands still clasped in his. He felt a sudden wave of guilt. He didn't want to unwittingly take advantage of her, after he had promised he would never touch her like this…

"I don't care," she said nonchalantly, resting her forehead against his.

"You will care in the morning," he replied, looking at her, "And then you'll punch me for it…"

She chuckled. "I'm not going to punch you."

"It's better if we stop here," he insisted, a sad smile on his lips. "I don't want you… to do something you don't want to do."

"What do you know about what I want?" she said angrily in a slurred voice, frowning.

"Oscar, you're drunk," he said slowly, "You are not even thinking strai-."

She cut him short by pressing another kiss to his mouth, mumbling almost unintelligibly against his lips, "_Shut up._"

"MmhhOscar…." André mumbled pitifully. _You're so stubborn!_ He thought. He wanted to stop her but she was being so provocative and enticing with him, it was taking every ounce of his self-control to not give himself in and go through with it, to just take her in his arms and make her his right there and then…. But the image of the night he had almost ravaged her haunted him at the back of his mind, sending a painful stab of guilt and regret at his heart. As much as he was enjoying her kisses and attentions, as much as he had dreamed of this moment, he knew she was doing them under the influence of alcohol, and that she had no control over her actions.

"Oscar…" he groaned as her lips left his mouth and she kissed his throat, "Please stop…"

"Why?" she breathed huskily against his ear, nuzzling her cheek against his.

"I love you…" André whispered breathlessly, "I don't want to hurt you…"

She stopped, and then pulled back, looking at him intently. He looked back at her, begging with his eye for her to understand. She cupped his face instead, pressing her forehead against his.

"You won't hurt me," she smiled, looking tenderly at him.

"Oscar…" he whispered, and he closed his eye as Oscar leaned forward again, her lips inching closer to claim his once more…

But she suddenly swayed, and her head fell against his shoulder with a groan, her whole weight falling on him and taking him by surprise. He regained his balance and propped himself on his elbows, turning to look at her.

"Oscar!"

But there was no reply… except for the sound of soft breathing currently coming from her prone figure lying against him. The alcohol had taken its toll. She was knocked out cold.

André blinked for a moment then sighed, a small smile playing on his lips as he placed a kiss on the top of her head and gently stroked her golden hair. He stood up carefully, gently scooping her up in his arms, her head resting on his chest. He walked to her bed, gingerly laying her head on the pillows after he had carefully removed her coat and boots, pulling the covers over her. He tucked her in as she gave a soft, relaxed sigh in her sleep.

He stopped for a moment, simply gazing at her. She looked angelical. The peaceful rise and fall of her chest, her porcelain skin donning a light blush, her golden hair spread over the pillows like a halo, those rosy lips that just pulled him in… and he couldn't help it; he leaned forward, placing a tender kiss on her lips one last time.

He pulled back, and noticed her lips had curved into a small smile.

_"Happy Birthday, Oscar…"_

* * *

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it! :)

-Feri


End file.
